Why is Texas pink granite, once considered majestic, disappearing from offices?
Heritage Plaza stands out from the Houston skyline, with its stepped granite summit rising above the steel and glass tower like a Mayan pyramid. But although its exterior is a nod to the past, a new round of renovations by owner Brookfield Properties aims to align the interior with modern tastes.
To accomplish this, the property became the last downtown office building to cover the pink granite once synonymous with majesty in the region.
The Texas Capitol building is made from material quarried in the Hill Country. If you’ve been to the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area before, the pink colored stone is the same that Houston office buildings use for their floors, walls, and exteriors.
But now pink granite, deeply formed from magma centuries ago, has started to fade from the real estate scene, a victim of ever-changing fashions. Dimly lit stone and brass floors and walls are out of the ordinary, say building owners and design firms. Bright and airy designs with lots of natural light, green walls and outdoor seating are on the menu.
MM Properties covered the dark granite walls of the Marathon Oil Tower with light stone; Brookfield Properties covered the granite floors of the Houston Center with white terrazzo. And at Heritage Plaza, the floors are now light gray stone, with the exception of the elevator bay closest to the parking lot, where the original granite is still visible.
“It’s a tribute to what once was,” said Travis Overall, Area Manager for Brookfield, Texas.
Pink granite came into vogue in the late 1970s, explained architectural historian Stephen Fox, in reaction to the earlier trend of sleek, all-glass skyscrapers. Architects of commercial buildings have started to adopt materials that seem specific to the region (although, ironically, for economic reasons, some of the pink granite in the city center actually comes from Sweden, Spain and others. regions. Looking at as if it was the native Texas stone was what mattered).
Much of the Houston office park was built in the 1980s when the trend was full. Now these buildings are old enough to be renovated and the trends have turned.
“Obviously today glass is back,” Fox said.
In addition to a brighter interior, the Heritage Plaza makeover includes more seating areas – the cafe, living room, and alcove seating are split into terraced groups outside the renovated cafe. and, on the 13th floor, part of a wall was removed to create an open space. aerial loggia where tenants have started to organize breakfasts and happy hours.
Brookfield also added new conference rooms and changed the lighting and HVAC system to be more energy efficient. In the lobby, a brightly colored wall serves as a placeholder for a living green wall (which has been the subject of pandemic supply chain delays).
This is the latest in Brookfield’s 7.2 million square foot renovations intended to allow its portfolio, much of which was built in the 1980s, to compete with the newer office stock.
“We made this commitment… to make them feel like brand new buildings. Overall said. “We think it’s a very dramatic difference.”
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